Marley and Me REPOSTED and RENAMED as Dark Stranger which is complete
by twinz1976
Summary: "I just need your arm" Damon said slowly locking eyes with her for a moment and then softly he placed his lips to her wrist. Damon hasn't yet let his guard down but then he meets Marley. Stefan/Elena make an appearance. REPOSTED and COMPLETE as Dark Stranger
1. Chapter 1

**I know nothing about cars so all car related and grammar errors are all my own. As to VD itself, I own nothing! Thanks for taking the time to read this. I have a few more chapters on the go, let me know by reviewing what direction you want it to take!**

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**Chapter 1 – The Middle of Nowhere**

Marley gave a huge sigh and banged her head repeatedly against the stearing wheel. "I knew I should've just stayed home tonight" she thought to herself as she hopped out of the car and opened the bonnet, pretending for a moment she knew something about car repairs. The knocking noise in her car had been happening for months, she'd been sure it would somehow just vanish over time. Apparently that wasn't the case. Twiddling a few knobs and knocking on a couple of pipes, Marley sighed again and leaned against the car checking her watch. 8.45pm. She'd told Emma that she'd be there by 8pm and even though Emma knew she was always late, she really should call to let her know it didn't look like she'd make it at all tonight.

She pulled out her cell and rolled her eyes when she saw the No Signal message written across the front. The GPS had sent her on some crazy diversion when she came to a bunch of roadworks, she had no idea where she was and no cell to call for help."Excellent, this night is shaping up to be awesome" she groaned to herself, kicking the tyre nearest to her and then wincing as her toes protested inside her heels.

The night was starting to encroach on the sky, darkening behind the trees in the distance and a breeze swirled her hair lightly around her face. Folding her arms across her chest, she glared left and right, looking to see what was around. She could see lights in the distance, too far to walk in heels though but it was the only option unless she wanted to sit here all night as behind her the other way was all darkness.

Ducking back inside the car, Marley found a discarded hairtie in the glovebox and tied her hair back off her face. Rumaging on the floor of the back of the car, she looked for an old pair of trainers that she thought were buried there somewhere. Pulling them out from under a couple of takeaway wrappers, she stuck her legs out the door and leaned over to remove her heels and stick on the sneakers. Then she gasped in surprise and stood up, bumping her head on the edge of the doorframe as she did.

A man was standing a little way in front of her, face hidden in the shadows by the purple sky. He stepped forward and she sucked her breath in even more when she saw him clearly. Dressed in a tight fitting casual jacket and dark top, there was no hiding the muscles underneath the clothes. Dark, slightly messy hair drew her attention before she noticed the defined cheek bones which led to lips curled into a confident, lazy smile. He was beautiful.

Ice blue eyes locked with hers when she managed to draw her eyes away from his mouth and her heart gave a quick flutter of fear. "Where had he come from, why didn't I hear him?" she wondered, heartbeat escalating as she realised the danger of her situation. Noone knew where she was or what had happened to her, she had no way of letting them know and now a stranger was standing metres from her with a look on his face that sent her adrenaline racing.

"It looks like you could use a hand" he said softly, standing motionless and staring at her.

Gulping and fighting the urge to run she spoke quickly "Car people coming to help me, I mean, repair men and they're only round the corner, I just called them" she indicated, lifting the cellphone slightly and hoping her breath wouldn't become trapped inside her body. He raised his eyebrows at this and cocked his head to the side, his smile increasing but not making it all the way to his eyes. Slowly reaching behind her to the open door, she assessed how long it would take to jump back into the car and lock the doors. "Probably longer than it would take for him to reach me" she thought, fear gripping her body and locking her to the spot.

"I'll have a look while you wait in case it's something simple" he said, walking slowly forward and causing her heart to pound faster. "Why don't you wait in the car out of the cold?" he finished with a smirk and he reached for the door, opening it fully so she could step quickly inside. As he closed it behind her he added "and you might want to do something about your head, it's bleeding where you banged it."

Quickly, she touched the lock on her door and listened as all the doors locked behind her. Was she mistaken or did she hear a soft chuckle as he strode around to the front of the car and dissapeared behind the raised bonnet?

Marley felt her chest rise and fall, her breathing still not back to normal even though she was locked inside the car.

She reached up and touched the side of her head which she hadn't even noticed was throbbing a little. Her fingers came away slightly damp from the blood that was attempting to dry there. It was just a small wound, how did he even know it was there? And what was he doing here in the first place, out in the middle of almost nowhere? Marley chewed on her lip in confusion as she listened to the small bangs and thuds coming from the front of the car. Looking down at her hands, she noticed they were trembling slightly and she tightened them into fists, pressing them against her thighs.

A knock at her window made her look up with a gasp. He stood there with that smirk on his face again. "It should be working now, the cap had come off the alternator and was banging around in there. Easily fixed. You should come take a look so if it happens again you can fix it yourself, it's not that difficult to do."

"No, that's ok, I appreciate that but I'll just be on my way now" she stuttered out. Years of parental lectures on manners made her hastily add "oh and thank you."

He looked directly into her eyes and said again "I want you to come take a look, get out of the car and come see."

As if in a trance, Marley opened the door and followed him to the still open bonnet, heart escalating as she did. Standing slightly behind him, she watched as he leaned into the bonnet to show her the loose cap. His jacket and top rode up a little, showing the skin of his lower back above his jeans. And the jeans themselves were pulled deliciously tight around his butt. He really was gorgeous but her heart was racing in fear not desire.

"I'm still afraid of him, why am I standing this close?" she wondered even as she traced his body with her eyes.

Turning and catching her in the act of looking at him, he spoke again. "You really shouldn't be out here on your own you know" he said, leaning back on the car.

"Wasn't my choice and anyway, what are you doing out here then?" she asked, lips still trembling slightly in fear.

"I was out taking a walk, looking for some...refreshments" he finished with a grin. "Good thing I wasn't very thirsty when I met you."

"What does that mean" wondered Marley "and why am I still standing here when my heart is still beating way too fast and I am scared to be near him?"

He stepped close so they were only inches apart. Reaching towards her hair and sending her body into full panic mode, he touched near where she had hit it before pulling his fingers back and rubbing them lightly together underneath his nose.

"Yes, a good thing I'm not thirsty" he repeated seemingly lost in thought."Oh and you can go now, go have fun" he said, almost as an after thought, looking directly into her eyes again and instantly she took two steps back and round towards her car door. As she fumbled for the handle, he spoke again.

"and when I see you next, I will remember that you owe me a favour".

As she closed and locked her doors, turning the key quickly in the ignition, he stood near the car door, arms crossed against his chest. The engine leaped into action and she sped quickly forward, glancing to the side as she did. That strange smile was still fixed firmly to his lips.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2 – The Party**

As if on autopilot, Marley arrived at Emma's house. She didn't remember how she even got there, the last thing she remembered before pulling into her driveway was the crooked smile on his lips. The whole drive she had flashes of him and what had happened in her head; getting out of the car as if her legs were propelling her forward when she didn't want to, the panic she felt being near him, the way his clothes fitted around his body, his chiselled face. And now, for some reason, she really needed to enjoy herself while she was out with Emma. Strange when she hadn't been that excited to go to the party in the first place.

Looking at her watch she saw that it was 9.15pm. "Had it really only been half an hour since she had looked at her watch while deciding what to do next?" she wondered.

Walking quickly up to the front door, it was swung open before she even had a chance to knock, Em not looking at all happy.

"Finally Marley" Emma said grumpily, hands perched on her hips. "This is late even for you!" Spinning on her heels, Emma stalked into the lounge, Marley walking slowly behind. "Where were you?"

"Sorry Em, the car broke down, my cellphone didn't work" Marley answered. "and then this guy appeared out of nowhere, and fixed the car for me. I would've called to let you know if I had any coverage but once the car was fixed I was just in a hurry to get out of there. The whole thing was very bizarre."

"Well, I'm glad you got here now, I told Jack I'd be there tonight and I don't want to miss him." Jack was the latest in a long list of guys Emma was interested in. Marley had guessed it was her mission tonight to make sure he noticed her. The dress Em was wearing was cut just low enough to show off her cleavage without being called slutty and the heels she had on were definitely not for the faint hearted. They made her legs look miles long, Jack didn't really stand a chance! Swinging her long ebony hair around her shoulders, she turned back to face me. "Are you going to go finish getting ready so we can go to Dave's party?"

"What do you mean? I got ready before I left" Marley replied, surprised.

"Go take a look in the mirror my friend, you look like you've seen a ghost or something." Emma said, applying another coat of mascara while I went into the bathroom to look in the mirror.

She was right, the face looking back at Marley was pale and drawn. Her long blonde hair which had been sitting flat against her back an hour ago was now all over the place, she looked like she'd been running somewhere. "Or from someone" Marley thought with a shudder.

Grabbing her bag, she tidied her hair and makeup then headed back out to Emma. "Right, lets go conquer Jack" she said with a wry smile and Emma smiled a tight smile back. "Obviously not quite forgiven my lateness yet" she thought as she climbed into the car next to Emma and they drove away.

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2 hours later though, it was a different story. Emma had been very happy to see that Jack was indeed at the party when they got there and that he had come straight over when they walked into the room. With a few drinks in her and lots of kisses in the corner under her belt, Emma was contentedly smiling around the room like the cat that got the cream, while a lot of her body was draped over various parts of Jack.

It was a different story with Marley. Holding a drink in one hand and resisting the urge to look at her watch again, she tried hard not to think of her cosy bed and the book she'd rather be curled up reading. Oh how old that made her feel to even think it, the 22yo going on 40! She knew quite a few people at the party but she just wasn't in the mood to hang out or to field off pick up lines. All night she'd had a very unsettled feeling and the only thing she could think about was the strange encounter on the side of the road.

Sighing, she finally gave in and looked at her watch. 11.30pm, she'd wait until midnight and then let Em's know she was heading home. Turning to put her drink on the cabinet next to her, she paused with her glass in the air, frozen to the spot. Across the room watching her with his lip curled crookedly into a smile was the man. Her heart started beating fast and her breathing increased, making her feel like she was going to hyperventilate. He raised his glass to her in a salute before draining it and putting the glass down. Slowly, he started heading towards her.

Stomach churning, Marley turned fast, needing to get out. She walked quickly, glancing behind to see that he was following her in the distance. She almost ran out of the living room and into the hallway, up the stairs, past couples happily smiling and dancing to the music, into Dave's darkened office at the top of the stairs where she quickly closed the door and leaned back heavily on the back of it, attempting to settle her panic down. "What is going on?" She asked herself. "Why is he here?"

"And we meet again" came a voice near the back of the room. Gasping and confused, Marley reached for the doorknob, preparing to take flight again. "I wouldn't do that" said his voice again, this time just a whisper but so close she could feel his breath warm against her ear, his hand pressed against hers on the knob, stopping her from turning it.

"Why are you following me, what do you want?" Marley gasped out. "I don't understand what is going on."

"It's very simple, I did something for you and I said you owed me a favour, I'm here to collect."

"I don't know wh..wh...what I can do for you" she stammered out.

"Well, to start with, I need to see you" and reaching over he flicked on the light, causing Marley to blink and then breathe quickly when she could see just how close he was standing to her.

"And next" he continued, locking her eyes to his "I need you to stop fearing me."

And with that, Marley felt her heart return steadily to normal and the eyes locked with hers turned from ice cold blue into a warm ocean shade that drew Marley quickly into it's depths.

"That's better" he continued. "Now, I think it best we introduce ourselves properly. I am Damon, and you are...?"

"Marley" she replied, cheeks flushing warmly from breathing the same air as him.

"Mmmm yes, that adds a little colour to your face" he said, reaching out to touch her cheek. "And now to the favour. I am feeling a little thirsty so I need your help."

As he said this, Damon's face seemed to crack slightly and then quickly settled back to normal. Feeling confused however quite happy to stay tucked up close to Damon, Marley sideled a little closer causing Damon to raise an eyebrow and for a quick smile to flash across his lips and eyes. "And how can I help with that?" she asked, turning her head to one side slightly and coyly lowering her eyelashes.

Damon reached down and took her arm, pulling her even closer as he did. Their bodies were pressed almost against each other, there was barely an inch between them and Marley wasn't surprised to feel her body starting to respond to the closeness.

"I just need your arm" Damon said slowly locking eyes with her for a moment and then softly he placed his lips to her wrist, kissing it a few times before the kiss seemed to grow intense and then she gave a gasp of pain, pulling back slightly.

He held tight and she felt his teeth deep under her skin, drawing liquid from her veins. The initial pain seemed to subside and she stopped resisting, her breathing quickening. Damon had told her not to fear and although she was confused, it felt intimate and not completely unpleasant. In fact she was drawn into whatever was happening.

He was done quickly, pulling his head away and wiping the corner of his mouth with his thumb. As he did so his eyes, which had seemed to pool slightly with blood, and his extended teeth began to dissapear. Marley looked down at her wrist, torn open a little with a distinct bite mark encircling the ripped opening. She was still puzzled, her head was spinning slightly and she began to wonder if she had more to drink than she remembered. "What a strange night" she thought disjointedly as she watched Damon stroke the wrist with his fingers.

"Normally the wrist isn't enough" he said dropping her arm back to her side. "I'm usually not satisfied until I have had the throat in my teeth but I plan on waiting for that."

They were still standing close enough for her to smell him and closing her eyes, she couldn't help leaning in slightly. She could smell blood, but something more, some pheremone that caused her own blood to stir. Opening her eyes she saw he wore an amused smile but she didn't care what he was thinking. She was exhilirated, confused and intoxicated by him.

"What do you mean about waiting for my throat and why did you do that to my wrist?" she asked.

"All in good time" he replied, leaning in. His lips hovered just above hers and she was sure he was going to kiss her. Closing her eyes, she waited to feel his lips touch hers, heart speeding up slightly. But all she felt was a cool breeze flicking past her and when she opened her eyes, he was gone.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3 – Orange Juice or Coffee?**

The next morning Marley lay in bed when she woke, playing out the strange night in her head. Her hand brushed lightly back and forth across her bandaged wrist, the dull ache had bothered her earlier but it was only slight background pain now.

She thought back to the moment she opened her eyes and realised Damon had gone. Marley had stood in the office for a few minutes, trying to work out what was happening before she headed downstairs, found Emma entwined with Jack, let her know she was heading home and then went out into the night. She kept expecting Damon to appear from out of nowhere again on her trip home but he hadn't. She was strangely dissapointed, his words seemed to point to the fact he was going to turn up again soon but when?

Crawling into bed at a little after 1am, she had found sleep came surprisingly quickly but as she nodded off, all her thoughts were tumbled up in confusion and questions. He left her heart racing from how good looking he was, there were some seriously good genes going on there. She didn't fear the strange things that happened around her when he was there. That in itself was bizarre, shouldn't she be afraid of someone who drank from her arm? Not to mention the way his eyes seemed to pierce right into her soul. Come to think of it, she didn't have a problem with the eyes. They seemed to hold an ocean in their depths and whether the water was chilly or warm, she wanted to wade into them and lose herself.

Shaking her head to clear her strange thoughts, Marley climbed out of bed, stretching as she did. "Walking past a mirror first thing in the morning is not always a good thing" she voiced outloud as she caught a glimpse of her hair and face. She looked like she hadn't slept at all, bags under her eyes. Her hair was sticking up on all angles and Marley attempted to tame it with her fingers while she walked, looking up only as she entered the kitchen.

"Orange juice or coffee?" Damon asked, leaning back on the counter and looking Marley up and down from head to toe. His tongue darted out quickly to touch his top lip and then his mouth curled into a smile.

Instantly aware that the tank top and boxers she had worn to bed were not covering much, Marley felt her hands fly to her face as her cheeks reddened a little. She walked round the counter to the other side to put distance between them and to hide her PJ's from his stares. He looked incredible, his clothes hugging his body, his jacket hanging open to reveal the form of him underneath. The blue of his eyes was intensified by the tone of his skin, his face seemed smooth (she wanted to touch and find out) and his lips were a shade of red darker than the normal pink. If she wasn't in such a state of confusion, she'd be very happy to be up close and personal with him.

Damon's smile increased as she looked at him, almost as if he knew what she was thinking and Marley finally snapped.

"Ok, so I'm going to pretend for a minute that it's not totally weird that you're in my kitchen, leaning against my counter and offering me an orange juice when I never invited you here. I'm also going to pretend that I have a clue what is going on with us and jump straight to saying coffee please and toasted muffins with lots of butter."

Pulling up a barstool, Marley sat down, crossed her arms and waited.

His eyebrows shot up, the smile dropped for a second before the grin reappeared. "Actually Marley, I think you'll find you were going to make breakfast for me."

"Ah, no, I think you're wrong about that" she replied, arms still crossed and meeting his stare with what she hoped was a strong and convincing one back.

"Oh, let me try that again" he said leaning across the counter towards her "I will have the same as you are having for breakfast" he said, his eyes seeming to lock her into her seat for a moment.

"Sure" she replied and before she even realised she was doing it, they had swapped places and Damon was resting casually on the stool, tilting his head as he watched her rummage in the fridge for the milk.

"I do like this" Damon said while she buttered the muffins. "It feels very domestic".

"To be honest Damon, it feels very weird. I'm still not sure what is going on here and I want you to tell me" Marley replied, sliding his coffee and muffins across the counter.

"Questions, questions, lets just roll with whatever happens" he said.

"No, actually I want a few answers" she replied, biting into a muffin and crossing her arms across her chest as she chewed.

Damon sighed and then after a moment he asked "what were you wanting to know?"

"Well, to start with, how did you get in here? And how long were you waiting?"

"Your lovely flatmate invited me in when I told her I was here to see you. And after I had been up to see that you were asleep, I walked around looking at your things for another half hour before you floated down the stairs. You have interesting taste in books."

Coffee spluttered out of Marley's mouth. "You came into my room? And went through my stuff?" Marley was furious at the idea someone had watched her sleep and was touching her things. But she was also disturbed by the idea of Damon being that close to her and not knowing, she felt vulnerable but strangely still not afraid.

"Yes yes, I was bored, I entertained myself, not a big deal." Damon replied, throwing back the coffee and munching his breakfast while watching Marley's movements. "I could've woken you I suppose but it was sort of entertaining to watch you sleep. You move around and talk a lot, it made me... interested in you more. Actually, you're a pretty heavy sleeper, I sat on the bed for a while and you didn't notice". He raised his eyebrow and smirked at that before taking another bite of his muffin.

Marley flushed, wondering what she had been saying in her sleep and the red crept further across her face at the thought of Damon being on her bed, almost in her bed. She tried not to let her mind wander down that track and got back to the questions at hand.

"So Casey let you in..."

"Invited me in" he interupted.

Marley sighed, rolling her eyes. "Ok, so Casey invited you in, you watched me sleep and looked at my stuff. I'm not sure I understand any of this. It's not normal for a guy you meet on the side of the road to help you fix your car, then to run into them again the same night where he proceeds to drink blood from your arm before turning up in your kitchen the next morning. Not to mention the fact I didn't even tell you where I live."

"I suppose it's not normal when you put it like that" Damon replied, leaning back in his chair, hands behind his head.

"And?" Marley said angrily feeling the desire to stamp her feet, the frustration building.

"And you intrigue me. I don't know why, you humans are normally so mundane, I sense a spark of something vaguely interesting in you. As to knowing where you live, I followed you home last night so that was easy."

"You followed me home?" Marley exploded. "I've had enough of this Damon, by now any sane person would've called the police to report a stalker. I'm tempted to do that right now but I'm not afraid of you because you told me not to be even though I feel like I should be. I don't understand that at all."

"Yes, I suppose that can be hard to understand" he said, standing up and walking round to her side of the counter. "And don't call the police, where would the fun in that be." he finished softly, standing very close to her.

"Damon, why did you drink blood from my wrist? I want to know what is going on." Marley said, heart beating quickly from standing so close to him.

"Ssshhh, no more questions" he replied quietly, putting a finger to her lips and moving it slowly down. The touch of his skin on her face made Marley take a quick breath in. He traced the finger slowly along her jaw before cupping her cheek in his hand. Locking eyes with her for a moment, Damon leaned in and Marley felt herself drawn towards him, breathing the same air, noticing the colour of his skin and the texture of his lips. Then they brushed against hers and she was lost. As his lips slid across hers, Marley felt her body respond and pressed in close as Damon grabbed her closer to him, almost hurting her. The kiss intensified and Marley felt her head spinning as he pressed her hard against the kitchen counter.

Damon broke away and stepped back, eyes blazing as if he was angry, breathing increased. His face seemed to crack slightly as he looked down, hands on hips, before looking up again with something burning in his eyes. "Yes, intriguing" he said, still slightly out of breath. "You're quite the passionate wee thing, aren't you?" he asked, looking her up and down again. This time Marley didn't shrink from his gaze but met it, putting her hands on her hips to mirror his.

They looked at each other for a moment, almost as if sizing up an opponent. Then Damon strode towards her.

"Come meet my brother." Damon said, taking her hand and leading her to the bedroom door. "Find something less... delicious to wear and we will go back to my place."

There didnt seem to be a question there, he was telling her what to do but Marley didn't even mind. The taste of his kiss was still on her lips and she wanted more. Leaving Damon leaning on the wall outside her bedroom, Marley went in and closed the door behind her. Looking in the mirror again, this time the face was different. No sign of the tired face she had seen when getting up this morning. The face in the mirror had colour and a spark of something in her eyes.

Turning away, she grabbed some clothes out of the drawer, ran a hand through her hair and thought for a moment. "Do I have time for a shower?" she called through the closed door.

"Oh, yes, we do, that sounds... perfect." he called through the door. "But perhaps, I will wait in the lounge while you... clean up." he finished with a throaty chuckle. "Lock your bathroom door though, you never know who might turn up."

The idea of sharing a shower with Damon held more than a little appeal and Marley went happily off to the ensuite, locking the door behind her. "His brother" she thought as she turned on the water. "I wonder what he is like?"


	4. Chapter 4

**Sorry, just decided what direction I wanted to take and have changed the rating to M for mild smut. You won't get over the top stuff here but sometimes the suggestion of it can be good too! let me know what you think :)**

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**Chapter 4 - Introductions**

"I'm home brother" Damon called, opening the door to the ridiculously huge mansion Damon had just pulled his blue Camaro up to.

Tugging Marley by the hand, he led her into the hallway and towards the library. Damon smirked as Marley turned around in a slow circle, mouth opened. The place was amazing. Books lined the walls, antique furniture dotted the room, promising little places to snuggle up and read for hours. Marley was in book heaven.

Amused, Damon indicated an invitation to the books and she walked over, gently stroking the spines of what were probably first edition classics. Damon walked over to a table and poured himself a drink just as another man walked into the room.

"What's up Damon, you don't normally announce yourself when you arrive home" he said, sounding annoyed.

Marley turned at the sound of his voice and her eyes grew wide. "This family has amazing genes" she thought to herself, taking in the James Dean vibe he had going on and the burning eyes that set off his good looks.

He sighed when he noticed her and strode to Damon, hands on hips as he came to stand in front of him.

"Why have you bought her here Damon? Isn't it enough to play with them outside of our home without bringing them here too? I have Elena upstairs and we all know how she feels about your... extra curricular activities. She's barely holding it together now she knows about Katherine, you need to stop bringing them home."

"Oh lighten up Stefan" Damon replied, downing the amber liquid in his glass. "I was just showing Marley where we live and I wanted to introduce her to my little brother. If you're going to be a buzz kill, we'll take it upstairs."

Stefan stepped sideways to block Damon as he moved towards Marley.

"Remember they're people Damon" he growled through gritted teeth.

"I don't need reminding Stefan, I can smell the humanity dripping off her skin, delicious isn't it?" he asked. "Care to join us for a drop of earths finest liquid, I know you want to."

Stefan narrowed his eyes and stepped up inches from Damon's face. "Don't do anything stupid, I mean it Damon."

Damon went still and his eyes turned hard. "Don't threaten me Stefan, we both know I am stronger than you and I am well aware Elena is your weakness, don't make me use that information. I will do as I please. Now step aside, Marley and I are going to my room."

Taking her by the hand, Damon led her out of the room and towards a staircase. Marley felt completely bewildered by the exchange in the library, dragging her feet slightly as she tried to make sense of it all.

"Ah Damon", she started as she followed him slowly up the stairs "so that was your brother? The one you wanted me to meet? Who seemed to not be so keen on meeting me?"

"Ignore Stefan. He is an ass. And I don't want to talk about him anymore."

Stepping onto the second floor they almost ran into a gorgeous brunette with long legs and a surprised look on her face. "Damon?" she asked.

"Elena, Marley, Marley, Elena" he said by way of introduction as they walked passed her and kept on going. "Stefan is downstairs, pouting in the library if you're looking for him" Damon called back as they walked away. Marley looked back over her shoulder to see Elena standing watching them go with a concerned look on her face.

Moments later, Damon led her into a gorgeous bedroom dominated by heavy wooden furniture, a large bed and an old fashioned, luxurious bath tub.

"My humble abode" Damon grinned, closing the door behind them. Sauntering over to the bed and kicking his shoes off, he lay down with his hands behind his head, a smirk on his lips. There he proceeded to quietly watch Marley taking in his room, a fact she had noticed but was choosing to ignore. She was also ignoring the eye candy picture he was making with his black jeans and tight black top that had risen up slightly to reveal a glimpse of his skin. And she was ignoring the feeling in the pit of her stomach that was not altogether unpleasant. She was finding the ignoring, rather hard to do.

Damon laughed quietly to himself and patted the bed next to him. "Why don't you come over here next to me?" he asked.

"No, I'm fine over here" she replied, awkwardly leaning on the wall and looking at the ceiling, the walls, the books next to his bed but not directly at the bed or Damon.

"Oh but I know you want to" he replied, almost as if he could read her thoughts.

"Actually, maybe I should head back to my place" she answered, pushing away from the wall and turning towards the door.

Instantly, Damon was standing before her, his face inches from hers, his lips hovering tantalisingly close. "I don't usually have to compel women to stay with me, they fall over themselves to come home with me" he whispered arrogantly. Sighing he continued "You would insist on being one of the few I must compel, and trust me, you won't be complaining shortly" and looking into her eyes he spoke. "Marley, take off your shoes and get to bed."

Walking backwards, Marley felt the sudden (and not unpleasant) need to get over to the bed, stepping out of her shoes as Damon stalked slowly towards her. All of a sudden he pounced and deftly picking her up, he had her on the bed before she had time to gasp. Landing with a muted thump on her back, she let out the breath she had been holding and an unexpected giggle escaped her lips.

"See, you can have a good time with me" he said, appearing above her and looking down into her eyes. And then his lips grabbed hers, his body pressed against her frame, his arm snaking under her back to pull her even closer. All her senses became heightened as she became lost in the kiss, and the feeling of his hands beginning to explore her body. His kiss wasn't gentle, Damon knew what he wanted but his roughness wasn't an attempt to hurt her, quite the opposite. He pulled away for a moment, looking back down at her with a creased forehead and slight frown. "I compelled you to get to bed, I didn't tell you what to do once you were here."

Confused, Marley frowned and nodded. "Well, I think it's fairly obvious what we can do now I am here. You were kissing me, I was liking it, I'm assuming that since we are both adults, we can work out what happens next as we go along" she finished, stroking her fingertip along his jaw to his lips.

"Well, just as long as we're both in agreement" he murmered, quickly rolling Marley over so she was looking down at him. Then pulling her face to his, he continued his explorations until Marley could no longer think of anything other than the feeling of his breath against her stomach, his hands on her thigh and as her eyes rolled back in her head, only his name, Damon!

_Well, chapter 5 is in progress and will be from Damon's POV. Reviews will help me finish it more quickly :P_


	5. Chapter 5

**I changed my rating back again after reading over fanfic and the ratings codes again, nothing explicit here, just suggested so back to a T. Let me know if that works for you! I also had to cut this chapter in half as it was getting too long and I wanted to update today and hopefully chapter 6 will be up tomorrow :) Thanks for reading.**

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**Chapter 5 – Judgey little eyes**

Damon's POV

Damon pulled himself up onto his elbows and looked down at her sleeping form. The covers were strewn all over the place and he caught a delicious glimpse of the curve of her hip before he blinked and shook his head to clear it. "She's just another girl" he said to himself as he climbed out of bed and crossed the room to his dresser. Grabbing the bottle of whisky off the top, he pulled up a chair and leaned back in it, gulping down a mouthful before taking another. His lips pulled back slightly as the burn hit his throat. But his gaze was drawn back to the bed.

Something didn't feel right. He'd had many women, many many women. And they were willing. At least the ones he could wait long enough for. The ones who didn't quite quench his thirst never made it to the bedroom. Instead they ended up in a ditch somewhere.

But this wasn't sitting right with him. Marley had certainly been enjoyable. The question then was what was different? He had compelled her a little but he hadn't forced her to stay with him. Or was he justifying himself? Did it even matter? She was just a human, disposable when he was done.

Glancing at her again, he stood up swiftly and strode from the room. He needed some blood or else he was going to lose it.

Entering the library, he swiftly poured himself another drink while he thought about where to get some fresh blood or whether he needed to use a blood bag. He heard the front door open, smelled the scent of her and gave a sigh before he heard her voice.

"Stefan?" Elena called walking up the hall way and into the room. "Oh, it's you" she said when she saw Damon.

"And hello again to you too Miss Cheerful. I think my darling little brother has popped out to look for some bunnies, no doubt he will be back when all the little furry critters in the forest band together against him or when he has had his fill" he smirked back at her.

"Hmm... you're in a mood, what's up Damon?" Elena asked, crossing her arms against her chest and leaning back against the desk.

"I'm just peachy thanks" he replied, gulping down some more amber liquid.

"Yes, I can see that. Do you still have company or has she gone?"

Damon turned to glare at her, his eyes holding hers in a steely grasp. She blinked back at him, not backing down. He sighed.

"She's upstairs" he replied, looking away, and he sat down heavily in the nearest chair.

Letting out her breath (did she think he had killed her?) she spoke again. "Damon, you haven't compelled her to stay there have you?"

He looked up quickly again, his forehead furrowed into a frown. "No! Of course not. My bed warmers stay there willingly" he said, meeting her eyes with a hint of suggestiveness.

Her cheeks flushed slightly but she held her ground. "I didn't say she was complaining about being there. But how did she end up there in the first place? Did you compel her to come home with you? Stefan doesn't think it's a good idea to have others around with Katherine on the loose."

"And Stefan clearly makes all the rules and the decisions around here right? I'm a big boy Elena, I can do what I want" but he didn't meet her eyes when he answered. He didn't like to admit it but her questions bothered him.

"Believe it or not Damon, I can tell when you have something you don't want to talk about. I've seen that enough times to know, you always seem to be hiding something and if it's more stuff about Katherine, I have to know." Elena said quietly.

Damon rolled the empty glass around in his hand for a moment before putting it down on the table next to him.

"Not everything is about you Elena, some of us have other things on our mind" he said with a tight smile.

She gave a small smile back. "We're friends now Damon, aren't we?" she asked. He stared back at her, unwilling to answer, waiting for her to continue. "I'm good at listening."

He stared down at the ground before looking up. "Humans don't always make sense to me."

"Are we talking in general or a specific human?" Elena asked.

Damon sighed, putting his feet up on another chair and tapping his fingertips against the table. "Marley. I didn't exactly compel her to sleep with me but I _did_ compel her. So it feels dirty. Which is strange, cos I normally like dirty" he grinned suggestively then the smile quickly vanished. This was too much heart to heart for his liking, especially when his heart no longer pumped blood but constantly craved it instead.

"That's called remorse Damon" Elena replied, raising her eyebrows and tossing her hair over her shoulder as she stood up from the desk. "You feel something for her. And if you like her even a little, you want it to be real. Whatever you have going on so far, maybe you regret compelling her, how can you be sure it's real?"

Damon frowned again and watched as she walked out the library door, taking her judgey little eyes with her. He felt titchy now and it was Elena's fault. This talk about remorse and reality. What was real was his need for some damn blood before he exploded.

Taking the steps quickly, he reached the fridge and grabbed out a blood bag, opening it swiftly without even waiting for it to reach room temperature. Drinkable but not exactly his favourite way of accessing blood. He thought of Marley asleep upstairs, her blood would be warm and he felt his face crack before quickly opening another bag and drinking it in. Leaning against the bench, he wiped away the blood from his lips, frowning as he did. He felt very unsatisfied. And now he was starting to feel annoyed and Damon and angry were never a good thing.

Elena's comments were playing over in her head and he didn't like the way they made him feel. Where did she get off telling him what to do? She may look exactly like Katherine but that's where it ended. Katherine was at least good for other things too. Pushing away from the bench he moved quickly to the stairs, taking them two at a time. Swinging open the door to his bedroom he strode across the room, ready to take the blood he needed fresh from it's source.

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_Ok, that's where I stop for now, shorter than my other chapters but beats a super long one and makes for faster updates, chapter 6 up tomorrow, thanks!_

_Thanks heaps to my reviewer so far, appreciate your encouragement!_


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6 - Confusion**

Damon's POV

Marley was still sleeping and her throat was in view, the blood pumping just below the surface of her creamy skin, steadily beating in time with her breathing. Moving her hair so her neck was fully exposed, he leaned in and breathed in her scent, preparing to satisfy his thirst. And then he stilled, inches from the warm, red source. He could smell her, every scent coming off her skin. No fear was permeating from her body as she relaxed in sleep. The vanilla lotion on her arms, the floral shampoo in her hair, the traces lingered. He could even smell himself, all the places he'd rubbed up against her body. And it bothered him.

What he wanted was blood, she was right there, why was he not biting into her neck? And all of a sudden he knew what it was. Damon had stopped thinking of her as just a girl or a human. She was Marley; a person with a sense of humour, a passionate, sexy nature and she challenged him. He liked being with her. He did want her blood but he didn't want to take it from her unwillingly. His jaw locked tight at the frustration of letting the feelings in. He kept them bottled up for a reason.

Damon pulled back off the bed and sat down heavily into the chair. "_This is annoying_" he thought to himself. "_I have a food source at my disposal and I don't want to use her. Hmmm..."_

She began to stir on the bed, almost as if she knew she was being watched. Stretching without her eyes fully open, she looked almost catlike and he remembered making her purr the night before. The memory brought a smile to his lips and as she opened her eyes fully, she met his smile with her own.

"Hello" she said softly, running her hands through her touselled hair. Looking down at the blankets mostly covering her body and then back at him again she blushed slightly, sending a flush of light pink into her cheeks.

"_That's not helping_" Damon thought as he stood up and turned away from her. When he glanced back, he saw the confusion on her face. "_I need to sort this out."_

Walking over and sitting down next to her he replied, his words coming out rougher than he'd meant. "Hey, want a drink? Some food?"

"I'm fine actually" she answered, gathering the sheets up around her body to cover herself fully. "Ummm... what time is it?"

"Almost lunchtime, you haven't been asleep that long." he replied, watching her lips as she moistened them after her sleep.

"_That's not helping either_" he thought. He made a quick decision and looked into her eyes.

"We came here to meet my brother, came upstairs and then fell asleep talking on my bed. Nothing else happened. You'll get dressed and once you leave this room you won't remember sleeping with me. Now you'll head home for lunch because you have somewhere you need to be" he said, breaking contact with her eyes.

Marley shook her head, coming around from his compulsion. "If it's almost lunchtime, I better head home. I have to be somewhere this afternoon and I've stayed too long."

"Sure sure" he replied, walking towards the door. "I'm heading downstairs to the library, meet me down there when you're ready, I'll call you a taxi. I'd drop you home but... I have somewhere to be as well" he finished. "_And that place is not near you! I'm not sure what is going on but I can't spend more time with you right now"_ he thought.

He left her to get dressed and headed downstairs, trying hard to get the images of her skin and the scent of her body from his mind. _"It was amazing but the next time she's in my bed, there will be no reason to doubt that she came without compulsion" _he thought as he walked through the library door.

Opening a bottle, Damon poured a drink then stalked around the room, unable to settle in one place. He felt on edge, alcohol wasn't fixing it and blood hadn't helped. This thirst he felt wasn't one he'd felt in a while and he didn't like what it was doing to him. Sighing, he pulled out his cellphone and dialed the taxi company.

When Marley appeared ten minutes later, she bounced into the room. "I don't know why I fell asleep. I still feel exhausted, must've been the late night last night." she announced.

Damon hid a smirk behind his glass. He had worked hard to get her to the point of exhaustion, he could've kept going but people tired so easily. What a pity she had to forget their time together. "I called the taxi, should only be another few minutes to wait" he answered, shaking those memories from his mind.

"Ok." She paused but when he just stood watching her, she continued. "Well, thanks for the tour. I guess I'll see you around?" she questioned.

"Yeah, sure" he replied. He could tell she was fishing for more but he couldn't give her anything else right now so he stood and drank in silence.

Her brow furrowed slightly but she didn't press him. "I'll wait out the front. See you later Damon." Marley said walking towards the front door. The words floated in the air between them, more like a question, would she see him again?

Damon had been raised a gentleman and back in the day that meant walking a lady home, or at the very least, out to the door and her waiting carriage. Instead he raised his glass in a farewell but stayed where he was, watching her walk away.

He couldn't do this right now, whatever "this" was. Instead he sat down with his glass and gazed out the window, playing with the heavy ring on his finger. "_What the hell am I doing_?" he asked himself.

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_OK so the long chapter 5 split into chapters 5 and 6 is over, we will flick back to Marley's POV, let me know how it's going :)_


	7. Chapter 7

**This chapter is a little longer than in the past but there was lots to sort out in their heads. Meet you on the other side :) Thanks for reading!**

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**Chapter 7 – While you were sleeping**

The taxi was waiting as Marley closed the front door of Damon's house and so she hopped straight in and settled for the short trip home. Leaning her head back against the seat, she closed her eyes and turned her thoughts inwards.

"_Could it really only be 16 hours since I met Damon?_" she wondered. A lot had been crammed into a short space of time and not all of it made sense. The feelings of fear when she had first met him on the darkened road, the way he turned up again at the party, the blood from her arm; none of that made sense.

It did however make sense that she would want to see him again. Behind her closed eyes she could see his eyes as they met hers in his room, the way his lips curled up into a half smile. She couldn't stop the smile that came onto her face as she thought of the kiss he'd taken in her kitchen that morning or the snippets of his body she had noticed as he moved. There was a gracefulness about his movements, mixed in with a level of arrogance that usually didn't appeal to her. But Damon definitely appealed to her.

Pulling up to her house, she paid the taxi driver and wandered into the kitchen, noticing the breakfast things had been left where she and Damon had been eating this morning. Pouring herself a drink, she mulled over the mornings events.

What a strange way things had ended. He had appeared out of nowhere in her kitchen, then he had been the one to initiate more before dragging her off to his home. His brother was a little intense but Damon wasn't exactly ordinary either. They had talked in his room, nodded off from their late night and then he hadn't encouraged her to call him or mentioned that he would call her as she was leaving. Come to think of it, they hadn't even exchanged numbers. He knew where she lived and she had a vague idea that she could find his house again but she wasn't sure.

As things stood, she may never hear from him again unless he got in touch with her. Marley didn't like the sound of that. Waiting for a guy to call her wasn't her style. Waiting for one to find the time to turn up on her doorstep was even worse. Just because he had appeared unannounced once didn't mean he would do it again.

She frowned. She had so many more questions than answers. Danger was written all over him but strangely, she wasn't afraid. "_What is up with all the drinking?" _She wondered. He always seemed to have a glass in his hand. Excellent, she was falling for an alcoholic. Even this morning, well before lunch, he had more than a few, yet he never appeared drunk.

Glancing over at the calander on the wall in the kitchen, she did a double take. She could have sworn she had something on this afternoon, that's what she had told Damon and why she had to leave so soon. Truth be told, she wasn't ready to walk away from his piercing blue eyes just yet. But nothing was written on the calander and she always wrote things down or she simply forgot what she was doing next. "_Maybe I wrote it on a slip of paper somewhere else, or the calander in my room?"_ she thought.

Going up the stairs into her bedroom, Marley looked at her bed and frowned again. After she had gone up to Damon's room, they have talked on the bed for a while but nothing seemed to have stuck in her head, what had they talked about? Surely she'd remember something, she hadn't been that tired. In fact, being with Damon made her feel alive so the last thing she should've felt was tired. Yet they had fallen asleep and she was still a little tired and achy now.

Things weren't adding up.

Marley spent the rest of the day doing chores. And then she painted her nails. Followed by reading for a while. At least she pretended to do all those things. She was actually unable to immerse herself in anything without her thoughts drifting back to Damon and it was starting to frustrate her. Not the thinking about Damon part. That made for very pleasant images. But the unsettled feeling that came with it wasn't doing much for her appetite.

As she climbed into bed that night she couldn't help but think back to 24 hours earlier. She had met Damon on the road but didn't know his name and now, he was absorbing all her thoughts. Marley had always prided herself on being a strong independent woman. She didn't fall for the bad boys or spend her days pining for anyone. This all encompassing thinking was not who she was.

Turning off the lights, she closed her eyes and determinded to wake up back to her old self in the morning. She wouldn't be seeing him again anyway, he'd given no indication that he would be searching her out. Damon would just be a distant memory before a few weeks were gone, maybe someone she thought she glanced while driving down the street. Sighing, she pulled the covers up to her ears and snuggled down. "_Why don't I like the sound of that?_ she thought as she drifted off.

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**Damon POV**

Today had not been good. Marley had walked away and he had gone out to feed. But nothing was satisfying him. He had returned to the house feeling full but unsatiated. As he'd bitten into the neck of a hiker he had found climbing in the woods, an image of Marley's neck had flashed into his mind and all of a sudden the blood felt wrong and tasted vervain laced. He knew it wasn't as he hadn't fallen to the ground in agony but he had pulled away in disgust and thrown the hiker to the side, undrained, still breathing. Lucky them.

So now he just wouldn't fight it. Why bother denying himself? If he wanted her blood, he would go take it, after all it was in his nature.

It was late and she was probably asleep but that didn't matter. He could easily access her house, he had been invited and her flatmate seemed to like leaving the window open when she slept. Climbing in and walking past Casey's prone figure, he almost stopped and took her blood instead. But it wasnt that simple, it was Marley that had gotten under his skin and until he drank from her properly, like his vampire nature was urging him, he didnt think he would be able to move on. "_Damn heightened emotions_" he thought as he carefully opened Marley's bedroom door.

The covers were pulled up almost to her ears, all that he could see of her was her eyelashes closed in sleep against her skin. Her lips were hidden from view and even though he could hear the slooshing sound of the blood pumping around her body, her neck was tucked out of sight.

Sitting carefully on the edge of the bed, he peeled the blankets down a little, enough to see her bare shoulders in the top she slept in, just enough to reveal the tangle of hair covering her throat. She turned restlessly in sleep, her mouth opening, her breathing escalating.

Damon turned his head slightly to the side as he watched her. She appeared to be dreaming and he wanted inside her head. And so he softly placed his fingers to the side of her face and entered her dreams. The same loop was playing over in her mind; walking up the stairs of the mansion, into his room and then waking up. She was trying to make sense of his compulsion, in his haste to erase what had really happened in his bed, he had left out too many details. Marley was confused about why she could remember nothing that happened in the room.

He was just removing his fingers from her head when an image stopped him and held his hand to her face. Damon was seeing himself through her eyes. In her dreams, Marley was waking up in his bed, looking at him sitting with a drink in his hand, a slight smile on his lips and in his eyes before the curtain fell back down over his emotions, blocking them from her. Then standing up he turned away before looking back at Marley with a look of coldness in his eyes. And Marley reacted to that coldness but not the way he expected. She didn't want to pull away from him. She wanted to know more.

That she thought he was beautiful went without saying. That came with the territory of being a vampire. But she could see past that, to the emotions weaving across his face. Normally he kept a barrier up that very few people were able to cross. Marley was sizing him up, even with all the confusion flitting around in her head and she was wanting to get to the bottom of him, of who Damon was. She could see the coldness in her eyes but also the unveiled looks he had revealed just as she was waking up, before he had set the barrier back in place. It was almost as if she thought of him as a challenge to conquer or a puzzle to unravel.

Damon pulled his hand away and ran it through his hair. This was getting complicated. That she intrigued him for some strange reason was obvious or he wouldn't be here. But that he wanted to stay and find out more about why she intrugued him was bizarre. If she probed too far into his life, she may stumble onto things that pointed towards the truth about what he was. Very dangerous for her. But what did he care if this human was trying to solve the Mystery of Damon? He could silence her with a slice to her throat, a snap of her neck or compulsion at the very least if she got too close.

The problem was, he didn't want to do any of those things. He wanted to keep her alive, at least for now, to spend more time with her, to find out why he even cared what she thought at all.

Placing his hands back to her head and entering her dreams again, he felt her tremble slightly under his touch. In her dream she was walking up the stairs, into his room. Before she could get to the part where she woke up, not remembering what had happened in his room, Damon dream walked. Planting the two of them sitting on his bed, they had a conversation. And in her dream, Marley responded, telling him answers to the things they were talking about. The places around Mystic Falls she liked to go, her friends, the food she liked. He didn't reveal much about himself other than the fact Stefan was his only brother and they were on their own. That was all he was prepared to expose at the moment. Hopefully when she awoke, Marley would now remember the time in his room with something other than confusion, she should remember snippets of conversations they'd now had.

He lifted his hand away from her face and instinctually she pulled the covers around her body and nestled down. Damon stood gazing down at her for a moment, perplexed. He realised he had no urgent desire for her blood. It hadn't crossed his mind since he had seen into her dreams. He wanted to keep her safe, to know more of who she was. It was all very cerebral for this late at night. He needed to leave, to drink it all away with a bottle of whiskey.

As he was leaving her room, he turn to take another look before going home. And it was then he saw the smile on her lips in her sleep and heard the slight murmur of his name "Damon."

He rocketed out the door, back to his house and shut himself in his room, drinking in the sunrise while he thought way too much about what he was going to do from here.


	8. Chapter 8

**Having issues uploading to this story, probably because it hasn't been updated in, oh, 10 months or so. It will only do short updates, sorry about that! So have started again, the story will be under the name Dark Stranger. Thanks for following and hopefully you'll start again with the other one, this one goes up to chapter 7, I am going to upload chapter 8 to Dark Stranger tomorrow.**


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